I'll Get You Better
by Princess Pyromaniac
Summary: My first Doctor Who story! I'm new to this fandom, ahaha, so I'm starting with a simple sickfic. The Doctor has fallen ill with a human flu, and this time it's up to Rose Tyler to help him get better. Super fluffy TenxRose for whoever needs it c:
1. Chapter 1

She knocked lightly on the wooden, blue door yet again, furrowing her eyebrows in worry and frustration. This was absolutely, positively ridiculous! The Doctor, a Time Lord, 900 year old alien from a now-destroyed planet called Gallifrey. He'd seen more than probably any other living being in the entire universe, had fought on the front line of a war that destroyed his race, and had saved her little planet's sorry ass more times then there was a number for! Oh, the Doctor was certainly something to marvel at. That is, if he'd only get out of his spaceship and stop acting like a rotten toddler. Pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she called his name warily.  
_You gotta be patient with him, Rose, _she told herself. _As ridiculous as this whole bloody situation is, you gotta be patient.  
_"Doctor, you need to come out of there." She told him, keeping her voice level and stern. She felt like her own mother. Jacque Tyler was safe- for once- in their apartment, and Rose wondered for a moment why she wasn't in there with her, leaving this pathetic idiot to solve his own problem.  
"Come out _there_?! This is your planet's fault! I'm not goin' out th-there 't-til I- _achoo!_" Right. She wasn't in there with her mum because the Doctor- _her _Doctor- was, well, sick. With... a human sort of something. If she was lucky, it was only a cold. Sadly, though, she wasn't a very lucky person. Either way, he needed to be tended to, despite how stubborn he was. If the Doctor wanted to play this game, she knew she could do it too. "...'Til I feel like it." He finished a few moments later, sniffing. Rose grinned.  
"I'm stayin' right here until you open up the door to this thing and accept the fact that you need some help." There was teasing in her voice. She heard a huff from inside, and then a weak cough.  
"That's not gonna happen. I don't _need _help, Rose. I'm... f-fine." His reply was only a mumble, and it was obvious the Doctor was miserable. Sighing, the blonde stroked the side of the spaceship with her hand.  
"If you were fine, you'dda come out here skippin' and hoppin' like you usually are. But you _didn't_, and I knew playin' on that icy planet was a bad idea. You went and caught a cold, Doctor. No matter, though; it's a human sickness, and you've come to the best place for that! Planet Earth! We'll get you fixed up in no time!" Again, her voice was laden in sarcasm and teasing. He began an indignant reply, but she cut him off. Oh no, Rose Tyler was not done yet.  
"Forget it, Doctor, I don't even need you to open it. I'm sure the TARDIS agrees with me, don't you, girl?" She stroked the box again, and it vibrated slightly. Oh, Rose could imagine the Time Lord's face! Priceless! "We need to get this silly boy up and runnin', don't we?" Again, the vibration ran through her palm; it was almost purring. The TARDIS was alive, and needed it's master in full health. "Come on, TARDIS girl, unlock the door and let me in. I'll get him better in no time, I promise." The ship whirred in what seemed like excitement, and a small click from the inside told Rose she could finally get into it.  
"Oh, TARDIS, why'd y-you go and do a th-thing like _that_..." Came the Doctor's voice, and he didn't seem to even have the energy to shout. Rose popped into the thing with a grin, skipping triumphantly around it's large, golden interior, giving her companion a good look. His short brown hair was messy, and he was unusually pale. The Time Lord was shaking, using his long brown jacket as a blanket, and his eyes were half-lidded and glazed over. He stared at the floor in defeat.  
"You may have won the battle, R-Rose Tyler, but the w-war's not over." And with that, the man stood up shakily, walking over to her and leaning on her heavily once he could. She just patted his hair and kissed the top of his head, an action that wasn't given any reaction to from him, and it disappointed her just a bit. After leading him outside, locking the TARDIS up again, and promising to visit it every day, Rose walked giddily home with herDoctor weakly trailing behind her. For once, things almost felt normal. As normal as she could, with the Time Lord around.  
And she liked it much, _much _better when he was.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, big boy, climb those stairs!"  
"'m tired."  
"_What?_ I thought you were fine! That's what you said...!"  
"Time Lords can be tired! I-I am fine!"  
"Oh, shush, drama queen, and just get up there."  
"...You're being mean."  
Rose laughed. This was just too much. Poor Doctor, she told herself, and hit his shoulder playfully with her sleeve. He sneezed again.  
"I'm just kidding, Doctor. You know that. And, uh... Bless you."  
"Mm." Even in sickness, he had the decency to acknowledge the good manners and return the favor. She grabbed his arm lightly and pulled him along, finishing the not-so-long flight of stairs. Once at the top, though, the Time Lord looked quite winded. He was even more pale then he had been, and his eyes were shut tight in distress. He mumbled something, stumbling clumsily into the railing, and Rose knocked on the door of the apartment. She gave him a worried glance after doing so.  
"D-Doctor?" He just slid down a bit, shaking his head. "Doctor, a-are you-" She was cut off by the opening of a door, and her mother stood in the doorway of the familiar apartment. Jacque was wearing a robe and slippers, and her hair was up in a messy bun. It was just like her mum, though; nothing new or shocking.  
"Hey, you two!" She began talking right away. "How have you been? Any new stories you'd like to tell? Not sure that I wanna hear 'em, but-"  
"M-Mum, he's-"  
"Don't interrupt your mother, dear. I'm just glad to see you here, even if-"  
"Mum, listen! He-"  
"Rose! I am talkin'! I've been a bit lonely around here, but I've managed-"  
"Can you stop jabberin' for a second and-"  
"Rose Tyler, now don't you go and start actin' like you-"  
The argument was interrupted by a loud groan from the Time Lord.  
"_Both of you... Shut. Up._" He tried to stand, and halfway managed to do so, keeping one arm wrapped around his stomach, the other one flailing about to try and keep him from falling. Pushing past Jacque, he staggered into the living room of the apartment, Rose trailing behind, then fell against a wall and gritted his teeth.  
"Doctor, what is it?!" the blonde young woman looked at her companion with worried, wide eyes, offering to help him in any way she could. He swallowed weakly, shaking his head.  
"'S my _stomach_..." The words were choked out, and Rose's eyes lit up in realization. Immediately, she snapped to action, grabbing his arm yet again to lead him to the bathroom. She pushed open the door, leaving her confused mum alone in the living room, and gave her companion access to the little bathroom. He kneeled against the toilet immediately and ducked his head, gagging once. Rose could only look at him, biting her lip, and turned away as he gagged a second time, and then a third, before letting out a horrid noise and opening his mouth to expel what sounded like all of the fluid's inside of him. She gasped, reluctantly kneeling down next to him, and did her best to ignore the wretched smell.  
"Doctor..." Rose reached out a hand and rubbed his back tentatively, and he let out a whimper before vomiting a second time, his stomach convulsing in such a way that it left the blonde with even more worry. The Doctor trembled, spitting into the toilet. He groaned.  
"I-I... Lied. I don't... f-feel so good. G-God, this is h-horrible. My _stomach_..." He trailed off weakly, going to wipe his mouth with his sleeve. Rose grabbed his arm and pulled it down in disapproval before popping back up and grabbing a washcloth from the rack and wetting it in the sink. She sat down next to him with it in her hands, having trouble not gagging herself.  
"Turn your head this way."  
He obliged. She wiped his face with it, then set it down next to her and engulfed the Doctor in a hug, which he tried his best to return. He whimpered again, and she shushed him quietly, trying to be gentle.  
"'S alright, you're fine, you're gonna get better soon. Just calm down for a bit and try not to be so jittery, alright? 'S not helpin' you get any better, 's just upsetting your stomach. Throwing up isn't pleasant, is it?" She managed a weak smile at that, and all he could do was shake his head without hesitation. She chuckled softly, kissing him on the top of the head again. "The Doctor, who can stand up to Daleks, Cybermen, Demons of every kind; but when he gets a tummyache he needs a little girl to comfort him."  
"...Mmn."

Rose was surprised at how quickly the Doctor had fallen asleep. She'd half-carried him to her own bedroom, offering it up to him. Of course, at first, he'd refused.  
"Oh no no no. Th-this is y-your-_ achoo!_ -bedroom and I'm n-not gonna make you sleep on the couch...!" He'd objected, and she'd just huffed impatiently, tossing her pink jacket onto the bed.  
"B-But Doctor! You need sleep, and we need a livin' room. We won't have one if your cloggin' up the whole thing!"  
"I'm not that big!"  
"Neither is the livin' room!"  
"W-well! I...I don't need sleep, though!" Right there, he'd yawned.  
"_Sure._"  
"I refuse to give into this... this _thing._" Rose rolled her eyes and pulled down the covers of the bed, ushering him into it and putting a pillow behind his head. He squeaked with surprise, lacking the strength to resist too much.  
"Fine, then, stay awake for all I care. But _please,_ allmighty Time Lord, at least lay down here for a bit. I'll go make a cup of tea-"  
"-Can you make a decent cup of tea?-"  
"-and then join you in here and we'll watch a movie or two together." She exited the room briskly, calling over her shoulder, "And yes, Doctor I can!"  
When she'd returned she'd found him on his side, clutching her jacket tightly and fast asleep. He was snoring quietly, and Rose shook her head, turning a light shade of pink after deciding to let him keep the garment. She patted his head and tried to make him a bit more comfortable.  
"Nighty night, then. Try not to drool all over my pillow." Her only reply was another snore.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose's night had begun uneventfully. After her mother had- quite rudely- barged into her bedroom, threatening to wake up the Doctor, she barely managed to explain everything and save herself from another scare. It was apparent that taking care of the Time Lord wasn't going to be as easy as she thought, but at least with him asleep it would buy a night of relaxation for the Tyler home. The blonde missed that, at times. She'd become much more used to traveling throughout space and time, always moving. It was worth all the pain she had dealt with, though; being with the Doctor was a gift she'd gladly pay for.

So the blonde sat, snuggled under her fluffy pink covers, watching reruns of old shows and VHS movies that she used to love. Her mum even popped in once to give her a buttery bowl of popcorn.

"Here, Rose, I-"

"Shh!"

"_Oh. Sorry._" It was quiet. It was inactive. Itwas altogether uneventful; at least for a while.

At some point in the evening, her companion started talking to himself. Nothing loud or even more then an incoherent slur, but enough to be a bit annoying. The blonde could do without it, and at first smothering the man with a pillow worked quite well.

"Mmmf..." He shifted under the covers.

"I can't _hear_ you, Doctor...!" She replied triumphantly, fast forwarding through a commercial. It was storming out, but inside her apartment Rose was warm and cozy. Being this _safe _had become something foreign; that imaginative mind of hers started to wander.

_It'd really be nice if the Doctor felt less under the weather. _She thought. _I don't recall us ever just sitting together and doing... nothing. _It was only a moment later that she pushed the thought away, though. That was ridiculous. Time Lords weren't built for doing nothing, were they? Was he even capable of it? The mental image of him sitting quietly, watching a whole movie without distraction made her chuckle.

"You definitely aren't made for it."

"Mmmmm..."

He was quiet for a long time, and Rose was almost starting to get lonely. She began thinking of excuses to wake him up. _I need to take your temperature, Doctor. You need to drink more water, Doctor. You're hoggin' the blankets, Doctor._ All right, so maybe none of these were reasonable enough. But she had the right to fantasize. It wasn't too much longer after she'd composed that mental list that he rolled over again, almost directly into her lap. She squeaked in surprise.

"_Rose..._" The Time Lord muttered her name under his breath, curling up into a ball and clenching his fists a few times.

"Doctor...?" She questioned.

"_Rose...!"_ He shifted restlessly at her voice, thrashing violently. The blonde furrowed her eyebrows and then sighed as he toppled out of her bed, taking the sheets with him. She crawled over to the Time Lord, abandoning the telivision's remote control and glancing over the side of the matress to raise an eyebrow at his confused figure. He blinked slowly, looking up. He was sweating and shivering slightly, and Rose felt worry shoot through her at how frail he suddenly seemed.

"Huh...? Wh-where am I? ...What happened? Rose?" He coughed.

"Calm down a bit, you're fine. You fell asleep and started talkin' crazy. Then... rolled off the bed." She informed him, grinning at the end of the sentence, and he bit his lip. Rose noticed for a moment he might've been blushing, but told herself it was just the lighting of the room.

"Wh...what did I say...?"

"...I couldn't understand any of it." Lying was harder then it should've been, but the Time Lord immediately calmed down, grumbling and burying his face in a stray blanket.

"Oh. S-Sorry..." Rose rolled her eyes, joining him on the floor. She pulled him into a sitting position and pushed his hair out of his face, flinching as she felt the heat that was practically radiating off his body

"'S fine...Hell, you're hot."

He grinned. "Why thank you, b-but on the contrary I'm quite c-cold."

"Oh, shut up and get back into bed." She replied snarkily, and they both giggled. The mood between them was kept light enough, but Rose was really starting to worry about the up and coming fever. Could Time Lords even get fevers?

_Whatever I've gotta do to get you runnin' again, I'll do it, _the blonde promised silently.

_A/N: Christmas has me busy . I wasn't really able to have too much progress in this chapter, but I'll make the next one more eventful, I promise uvu_


	4. Chapter 4

Time Lords could definitely get fevers. Or at least, this one sure could.

Much to a certain Rose Tyler's dismay.

Yes, oh, yes he could, and the blonde wondered if maybe the aliens were even more susceptible to them than humans. The Doctor certainly helped her hypothesis, anyway. It was ridiculous; _every single_ time she managed to coax him into letting her put the thermometer under his tounge, the number was higher then it had been the previous occasion. His fever was going nowhere but up, even despite the numerous wet washcloths and plentiful cups of water she'd practically forced into him. However, the Time Lord wasn't in much of a position to object, either; Rose _would_ at least say that in his defense.

"Doctor, you should drink more water, your temperature is rising." She stated, thrusting yet another cup of the tasteless, clear liquid in his direction. Others sat piled about, scattered across the room. They were all empty; drained to the very last drop.

"Dear Lord, Rose!" The Doctor looked at her, baffled. "I'm not thirsty anymore! How much water do you expect me to drink?! This has to be at least my tenth mug, am I right? How many more have you already planned?" A bout of coughing interrupted him, stopping the man from complaining any further. That was a good thing, too; she knew from experience that he could jabber on and on about literally any topic, explaining and deducing- but lacking an actual _point. _She knew he was just making fun of her, though, so she just rolled her bright eyes, playing along.

"Calm down, cowboy." Her eyes darkened mischeviously. "I expect you to stop complainin' and keep swallowin' this stuff. If you don't behave, I'll drug it." There was a dramatic wave of hands right after this was stated. The Doctor just shook his head and smiled weakly.

"You wouldn't."

"Would I?"

"No, you wouldn't."

"...Alright, you got me, but my point still stands!" After a few more minutes of discussing the pros and cons of drinking yet another glass of water, the Time Lord gave in and reluctantly gulped it down- making sure to loudly announce his disapproval whenever he got the chance.

Another hour or so went by of restlessness, and Rose shook her head yet again as she pulled the little device out of her patient's mouth. She frowned. It'd raised again, even if only just a bit.

"'S too high. You need to sleep a bit more."

He looked at her dumbly, starting to feel the affects of the high temperatures swimming around inside of him. "H-How high?" He asked her, shivering a bit and retreating further into the pink, furry mass of blankets he was under.

"_Too high, _Doctor." She pressed the button to turn the device off, looking down at him and shaking her head. "You're gettin' stupid already, just go to sleep to save yourself from embarrassment." Poking fun at the Time Lord was getting less and less entertaining. Worry knawed persistantly at the blonde, but she did her best to ignore it. Which was getting harder every passing hour.

"Nooo, I am not...!" The brown haired man closed his eyes, laying back. He rubbed them sleepily with his knuckle, yawning. "I-I _suppose _I could use a bit..." Another yawn. "...of shuteye... b...but..." _Out like a light, _Rose thought. _...Again._

She pinched the bridge of her nose. Goddamn fevers.

Eventually, the blonde decided to share a bed with her time traveling partner for the night. She wasn't sure whether the sickness could pass from species to species- _where had it even come from?_- but she figured it was worth risking either way. And it would've worked quite well, too, hadn't he been so sick. The Tyler home did not get very much sleep that night.

The Doctor tossed and turned violently, not staying still for more then ten minutes at a time. He clung tp anything that he could get his hands on, and that _included _the girl he was sharing the bed with. His talking and whining was excessive, and at some point it became so loud that Rose had to wake him up.

"_Get to the TARDIS..._mmm..."

"..._The TARDIS...!_"

"_Get in...now... c'mon, hurry, hurry..._"

She sat up, running a hand through her hair lazily and shaking his shoulder as he called out the name of his ship yet again.

"Doctor, wake up...!" He jerked awake with a start, intaking a quick breath. The air around him was warm and stuffy. He hummed something of a question, wondering why she'd woken him up, but she just shook her head.

"You gotta shut up while you're sleepin', Doctor." The explanation was blunt, and didn't get a reply. "How are you feelin'?"

He groaned, looking frail and weak. The blankets almost seemed to be crushing him. _'Oncoming Storm'. Right. _The blonde pulled a few of them off the bed, tossing them onto the floor. She stretched. The Time Lord shook violently, overtaken by a coughing fit.

"Do you need somethin'?"

"...mm..." Came a muffled reply, obscured by a pillow.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"The TARDIS..." He mumbled, and Rose raised an eyebrow. He needed the TARDIS? Maybe he was in delirium? The blonde reached over and felt his forehead with the back of her hand; he'd gotten warmer, again. Hopefully delirium wasn't the case.

"I can't get you the TARDIS, you're bein' ridiculous."

"Nononono Rose... Th-there's something I need i-in the TARDI- _achoo!_"

Thank God.

"And what's that, exactly?"

"'S a small bottle of pills..." He yawned, covering his face with his hands and coughing again. "I'm tired, Rose... just get the pills from the TARDIS n'...shhhh..." As much as she didn't want to get up and go outside, let alone walk a couple of blocks in the pitch darkness, she was willing to try and get the bottle. It sounded promising, didn't it? Hopefully the Time Lord knew what he was talking about.

"I-I can go run and get it. What does it look like, Doctor...?" She eventually decided, and he waved his hand lazily, not bothering to turn to her.

"It's the only bottle in the whole medicine cabinet... In the bathroom... You'll find it easily, I'm sure..."

She smiled, climbing off the bed and putting on her jacket yet again- it smelled like him, and she took a deep, satisfied breath. The Doctor's coat was on a hanger in her closet and she grabbed the TARDIS key from its pocket next, then opened her nightstand's drawer to get a flashlight as well. It was nice and bright; her mum must've replaced the batteries earlier that day. She thanked Jackie silently and stood up.

"All right, I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay safe, Doctor." Her reply was silence, and suddenly without thinking she walked over to him and pressed her lips to his hot forehead, closing her eyes for a moment. "Please, just stay safe."

And that was that. Rose was out the door. She thought _maybe _she heard her companion chuckle softly, but of course it was only her imagination and he was fast asleep. Right?

* * *

_A/N: alright uwu wow you people so nice. I'll get started on the NEXT chapter right away, okay? ;D It'll be nice and long and eventful!_


	5. Chapter 5

The night was cold and black; without the flashlight clutched tightly in her hands, Rose would not have been able to see an inch in front of her face. A few streetlights in the distance flickered lazily, and they lit up small patches of the road like checkpoints in an inky black sea. The small device was stong and it helped a bit, making her feel just a bit safer as she trudged through the cold in her few layers of clothing. Even after being with the Doctor for all the time she had, walking down any alleyway this late at night- or early in the morning, she guessed- was slightly unsettling. More then slightly, really.

At this point, even the clang of a metal fence or mewl of a cat scavenging for food was enough to make her jump and whirl around, wary of her safety. Then the image of the Doctor ran through her head and she smiled weakly, continuing on.

_I promised I'd get it,_ she thought to herself, pretending to talk to him. _You've never let me down, Doctor, so don't expect me to try anythin' less then my best. _Of course it was ridiculous to worry as much as the blonde was, but she just kind of got odd feelings as she turned a corner, half-expecting another sort of monster to jump out from the shadows. It wasn't impossible, but not a helpful thing to have on your mind, either.

_I'm almost there. _At least, she was pretty sure. The darkness made it more difficult to remember where the thing was parked. If she'd have known she was going on a night trip, she would've taken note of the cracks in the sidewalks or _something._

"TARDIS..." Rose's own voice was comforting to herself, and she mumbled the name of the ship over and over for a while, until the beam of her flashlight hit a very familiar blue box. Rose grinned, suddenly not wary at all. She could kiss the thing, and she almost did.

"TARDIS!" Pulling the key out of her pocket and opening it swiftly, the blonde sighed with happiness as she entered. So familiar. This might've been her favorite place in the universe to be.

But she couldn't stay for long. Finding the bottle of medicine was just as easy as the Time Lord had said; it was a relief he hadn't been making it up, and she knew she had to get it too him as soon as possible. The bottle was small and at first glance no different from any old pills. Rose didn't even read it, she just stuffed it in her pocket, itching to get back home. She twirled around inside once more before telling the TARDIS goodbye and locking it up, disappearing back into the brisk night.

Nobody stopped her.

"...Doctor... Doctor, are you awake...?" The room was warm and stuffy and Rose flipped up the lightswitch reluctantly, hoping not to wake him up. She heard a sniffle, and the hunched over figure of her Time Lord lit up into view. A smile spread across her face.

"Y-Yes! Rose." Came the Doctor's startled voice, and he souded awfuly melancholy once he regained composure. Rose trotted over to the bed, bottle of pills in hand, and sat next to him. She swallowed nervously, noticing right away that something was wrong; he looked so _sad._

"I did what you said! Ah, here they are." She put the bottle on the nightstand and watched him raise an thick eyebrow, gazing at her with a confused look in his dull eyes. They were red and puffy and traced with dark circles, but still just as breath-taking as always.

"What I... said...?" He sat dazed for a moment before snapping his fingers in realization, nodding slightly. The man still looked oddly sad, though- maybe even frightened? It bothered Rose. "Ah, y-yes, that's right, I remember. Earlier, I told you about th-"

She couldn't stand it any longer.

"What's wrong." Her voice was stern, and it wasn't a question.

"W-What do you mean?" The Time Lord was trying his best to look innocent, but Rose could tell something _was off._ She put a hand on his cheek, silencing him, and he looked back her with pursed lips.

"_What's. Wrong._"

He was stiff for a moment, and then arms wrapped tightly around her slim body. She returned the hug without a thought, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. He breathed raggedly, relief apparent in the short whine he let out. The bottle rolled off the bed and onto the carpet, forgotten for the moment. She shushed him, running her hand through his hair.

"It was just a silly dream." He laughed nervously, clutching her tightly despite his words. She shook her head, humming softly and letting him calm down. "I should go back to sleep; its was nothing, really."

Silence.

"But, ahh..."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Could we... sleep toge- er, no, that's not the right way to put it." His face was red and he laid down, spreading his arms as if to ask for another hug. Rose laughed despite herself, joining him against the matress and sighing contently as he wrapped his arms around her. He was so very _awkward_.

"You want to _cuddle._"

"Don't p-put it like that!"

"If you say so..." The girl teased him, turning on her side and facing her companion. "We can _cuddle._"

He grinned sleepily back at her, tightening his grip the slightest bit.

"Thanks, Rose."

"'S nothin'."

* * *

_A/N: Everyone is so nice wow ;o; Thanks, everyone! Erm, I'm not British so forgive me if I use an American-ish word where it shouldn't be... uou Next chapter'll be up soon c: _


	6. Chapter 6

The two time travelers slept extremely well that night, limbs tangled together and breath warm on each other's skin. It was still muggy in her bedroom, but it only made the two sleepier and less reluctant to pull away. The Doctor's feverish mumbling was almost silent that night, just quiet enough for Rose to sleep peacefully. And they did; both of them.

When Rose awoke in the early morning, her Time Lord was on his side, clutching her like a pillow. His face was buried in her shirt and he was snoring softly, keeping his legs wrapped loosely around hers. She watched him sleep for a short while, deep in thought, before putting a hand to his forehead. It was hot, but possibly a bit cooler then it had been last night. A hope she decided to at least pretend was true.

She bit her lips as she tried to wiggle out from under him. The Doctor was unconciously strong, latching onto her in his sleep. She laughed silently to herself and took the time to slowly unknot his fingers, sitting up groggily and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her companion grumbled slightly, burying his face in her pillow and taking a deep breath. The blonde yawned leisurely and stretched, reading the clock on the wall. It was later then she thought it would be; almost noon. If the Time Lord had slept as well as she had, and she hoped so, that would be a miracle.

Rose stood up and suddenly heard a crack from underneath her foot. She took a small step back only to see the medicine bottle that she'd retrieved from the TARDIS the previous night. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, examining it. The case was white, blue and rectangular in shape, reminding her of a few different pharmacy drugs. It looked like any old bottle of medication, didn't it? Nonsensical numbers and foreign chemicals were plastered all over the labeling; nothing she could make sense of. Shrugging, the blonde tossed it onto the nightstand and went about getting ready, taking a hot shower and pulling on her mother's robe afterwards. She slipped into her bedroom, rummaging through her clothes for an outfit and hoping not wake up the Doctor.

"Mmmn..." _Just my luck. _A short groan came from the bed and Rose hissed, standing up straight again. She scolded herself for not just _bringing_ an outfit with her, like she should have. He grumbled again, lifting his head slowly and sleepily.

"...Morning...?"

She pulled the first few things she could out of her drawers, making a sort of makeshift outfit. Waving at the Time Lord, she giggled slightly at his disgruntled expression. "Yes, morning."

He smiled at her. "Hi, Rose."

She rolled her eyes in response, seeing as he was still only half-awake. "How're you feelin' today?" The question was nonchalont, and he stretched, shaking his head.

"Nnn- I've been better..." He snuggled into the blankets, coughing slightly, and the blonde blinked up at him as she gestured towards the nightstand.

"Those pills are here now, remember? The-" He cut her off and rolled over quickly, grabbing them and tossing them into the air with glee.

"Thank you!" He grinned hugely at the small bottle in his hand. She just stared at him.

"Err... You're welcome, I suppose..." Shaking her head, she went back to her own thoughts. The Doctor sure was a strange man, but she'd grown used to it. Asking questions would usually get you _nowhere_. "I can get you a bowl of somethin' to take those with." He sniffled, scrunching his nose.

"Not hungry."

"Oh come on, Doctor." The blonde walked to the door of the room, opening it slightly. "You lose your appetite while you're sick, I know, but you need to get food in your stomach."

"I don't want to do that... _thing_ again." He pointed a finger in his mouth and pantomimed coughing, and the blonde burst into laughter again after realizing what he was trying to say. He pouted, crossing his arms. "Don't laugh! It was really..._icky._"

"I'll make sure you won't throw up again, but I'm makin' you something whether you like it or not. Just, ah..." Rose looked down at herself, slipping out of the room. The Doctor finally noticed the fact that she was wearing nothing but a robe and flushed, nodding.

"Th-that's a good idea, yeah."

* * *

When Rose exited, the Time Lord laid there on the bed and played absentmindedly with the little bottle. He was tired, he was cold-and hot at the same time, he was maybe even thirsty, but he most definitely was _not _hungry. The idea of eating anything was actually mildly repulsive, and he cringed slightly at the thought. Humans sure were weird. Did they really get these viruses normally?

_Yet another point for the fantastic human race, I guess, _he thought to himself, sneezing. Closing his eyes again, he yawned and rested his head on Rose's pillow. Dreaming sure was weird when his temperature was so high. The Doctor didn't feel like himself, and he didn't like it one little bit. All he wanted to do was sleep like he had last night, with _her_. It was so warm and dark... and nice... _See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Get it together, Doctor!_ Maybe if he rested just a bit longer, he'd start to feel more in check...


	7. Chapter 7

The blinds were shut tightly, letting nothing but almost nonexistant slivers of sunlight enter the room. An old radio was playing static on top of one of the big, wooden dressers, and the quiet tick of a clock helped penetrate the silence. A ceiling fan spun in circles above him, blowing cold air around the room. Or maybe it wasn't cold air; the Time Lord couldn't tell. It _felt _ice cold against his hot skin, though- extremely unpleasant. He felt extremely unpleasant through and through; worse then he had in a while. His throat was dry, his stomach was upset, his eyes burned, and his head spun.

He tried to prop himself up on his elbows and immediately cringed, whimpering on instinct. Where was Rose? He attempted calling her name, but ended up only able for force out a croak before coughing violently, feeling his stomach flop. He couldn't do much more then lay there, begging himself not to 'throw up' again, which he was having difficulties doing. The Doctor wondered distantly where that girl had gone, probably wandering off yet again. He had no idea what time it was, but it was still daylight, as he knew from peering through the blinds. The sunlight irritated his eyes and he groaned, leaning up against the backboard of the bed.

The room was tilting and twirling and multiplying in front of his eyes. Another shiver went down his spine, but he tried his best to ignore it.

"_Rose?_" He could hardly hear himself. His voice was as good as gone. Another wave of nausea ran through him and he put a hand on his stomach and grit his teeth. He really needed those pills. Whre were they? Had Rose taken them out with her earlier? He couldn't remember, and didn't try very hard, instead laying his head on his knees in an attempt to steady himself.

"Doctor, _what _are you doin'?"

He looked up and came face to face with the most beautiful girl in the world. Or, at least, that's how she looked in his feverish vision.

"H...Hi." He whispered hoarsely, and she watched him worriedly for a moment before sitting down next to him and slinging an arm gently around his shoulders.

"Y-You look awful...!" She stated, opening a water bottle that she'd been carrying with her. "What's wrong? What were you doing?"

"_Rose..._"

She sighed, pulling-sure enough- the bottle of pills from her jacket's pocket.

"That's ridiculous. You're ridiculous, did you know that?!"

* * *

Rose frowned frustratedly, thoroughly annoyed. She pulled at the lid of the bottle. What did the Doctor think he was doing?! His fever was too high and he was _losing it_. She'd only been in the goddamn _kitchen!_ No, though, she couldn't leave the ridiculously stubborn Time Lord alone for _twenty minutes_ without him creating some sort of fuss. Typical.

And on top of it all, the lid wasn't coming off of the bottle. _That _certainly wasn't helping her temper any. Twisting, pulling, even gnawing slightly with her teeth; all of these methods were proving to be innefficient. She huffed.

"D-Doctor, I can't open this thing." The lock was like nothing she'd ever seen; no directions for it or anything. It just wasn't opening.

"Hand it over." He was losing his voice, but she obliged and tossed the pills to him. Watching in slight disbelief, Rose blinked as he popped it open, seemingly without any trouble.

"H-How...?"

"...What?" He looked up at her after noticing her expression, and shrugged sheepishly. "You surprised?"

"B-But that was sealed tight! How did you...?" She squeaked, doubting he'd give a clear answer. The man never did give sensible information, but _that_ was just baffling. He raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't think _humans_ would be able to open that, did you?" He coughed out, reaching for the water bottle. She handed it to him slowly and he gulped some down, obviously relieved at how much better it made his throat feel. He made sure to leave about half a bottle.

"W-Well... I guess I don't know what to expect with half of that stuff you leave layin' about in the TARDIS." Rose replied indignantly, crossing her arms and glaring at the container in his hands. "Why can't humans open it?"

"Because," His voice sounded much better after drinking the liquid, "If a human took even one of these things, they'd probably implode on the spot."

"_Are you serious?!_"

"Well, you couldn't open it, could you?" He laughed, taking one out of the bottle and putting it in his palm. Rose leaned forward, trying to get a better look. It was shaped oddly, almost like a star, and shiny black.

"Where's that from?" The blonde asked, and he closed his eyes in thought. "W-what planet, I mean."

"I don't quite remember... I've had it longer then most of the 'stuff I leave layin' about in the TARDIS'." The Time Lord teased her right back despite his awful mood, and she grinned. "It works wonders, even though it's a hell of an ordeal to take."

"What do you mean by that?" She watched him with curiosity, her eyes sparkling.

He stuck out his tongue and frowned, shaking his head. "They tase _deplorable_."

"They can't be _that _bad... can they?"

"I'd like to prove you wrong, but you can't try them. So take my word for it. They're _disgusting_."

The blonde just shrugged, still not convinced. The Doctor could be a bit overdramatic- and by could she meant _often was_. "What exactly do they do?"

"They're like... well... a miracle medicine, so to speak. I don't use them much. There aren't many occasions where I need to." He sneezed and gasped slightly as a sharp pain shot through his stomach. Rose put out a hand to offer help, but he just waved it away. "'M fine."

"Take one of those pills, then! I'm not stupid, Doctor, I know you aren't fine."

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it." With reluctance, he put one of the odd-looking pills in his mouth and immediately let out a disgusted groan. Opening the water bottle he swallowed it and moaned loudly, gulping down more. Rose watched him, wishing she could do something.

"Wh-What can I do to help?" She asked and he shook his head, finishing the water and taking a few deep, shaky breaths.

"You can't. It's alright."

"You aren't going to throw up again, are you?"

"I...I sure hope not."

He sat staring into nothing for a few long moments before swallowing one more time and looking up at Rose to smile sleepily. "There. This should help immensely. Thank you for getting them, Rose."

She was still curious, but decided to drop the topic; at least for a while.

Rolling her eyes, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead. He blinked in shock at first, and then chuckled blissfully as he closed his eyes. She kept her lips pressed to his hot skin for a moment and then sat back, smiling at him.

"It's really no problem. I'm looking forward to watching you get better." The blonde told him and the Time Lord nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. ...Me too."

* * *

_A/N: Everyone's so nice! Hugs and kisses! :D I'm not very satisfied with this chapter, but I'll try and finish explaining anything that might still be unclear by the next one. ouo_


	8. Chapter 8

It took a long time for the pills to start working. The Doctor insisted that they were, and his fever _was _going down, but he was also suffering from horrible bouts of nausea. Afterwards he explained that the cause of it was the little black stars themselves, and that left her even more skeptical. Rose didn't trust the things at all, but he did; and she certainly trusted her Time Lord.

"They weren't _made_ f-for my kind." He'd told her, pushing down another onset of vomiting. He was kneeling at the toilet, catching his breath. His face was drained of color and laden with exhaustion as he fought the obvious urge to shut his eyes. The blonde pushed a few stray, sticky with sweat hairs off of his forehead, hardly managing to stop herself from flicking him. She decided to roll her eyes instead.

"Then why would you take the bloody things?!" She replied stingingly, but he just buried his pale face in his arms and took a few exhausted, deep breaths. It made her feel bad instantly, and she felt the need to apologize. Of course, the Doctor had a reason for everything; he wasn't stupid. Extremely silly and immature, maybe, but not stupid.

"M-My body will get used to them soon. It takes a bit- _ahh..._" He coughed violently and spit up into the toilet bowl again with a wheeze. Rose watched with gritted teeth and couldn't do more then stay by his side, awkwardly keeping her hand on his back. She opened another water and brought it to his lips, which he gulped down thirstily.

"S-Sorry I asked..." The blonde half-heartedly attempted to tease him and he gave her a weak smile in reply, falling into her without a word. On instinct Rose wrapped her arms around the Time Lord and he mumbled something, a distant tone in his voice. She smiled.

"Awh, now, are you a bit sleepy, Doctor?"

"...Mmmm-hmm..."

He'd been acting like that for a while, often falling asleep on the rim of the bathtub, all curled up. Rose would sometimes bring him a blanket and drape it over his shoulders, watching him curiously until he awoke. Other times she'd gently shake him and he'd jolt awake, rubbing his eyes with his palm and acting as innocently as a kitten. On most occasions, though, she'd let him sleep, because he needed it desperately and also because waking him up was just a little bit too hard. The Doctor didn't sleep quite like humans. There was no specific way to pinpoint what she meant, but she was sure if anyone watched him long enough they'd notice something different.

His breathing was warm and his eyes were closed, rolled back into his head just like any human's. It almost seemed as if he weren't really sleeping, just caught up in an adventure inside of his head. And maybe he was. He talked sometimes, spouting slurred nonsense and grinning happily in his sleep. When he was sleeping deeply, he would snore softly and drool all over the place. Either way it had Rose fascinated and she absolutely loved to watch him whenever she could, with the excuse that it was only for protection.

The thing was, her Time Lord was _absolutely adorable._

"Oh, Doctor..." She'd close her eyes and let out a breath of relief as he lifted his head off the porcelain rim, most definitely hardly awake. There'd be a fluffy, dark brown blanket draped over him and he'd obviously have been passed out for a while. His eyes would be half open and unfocused as he hummed something quietly, and their lids would flutter, leaving her to poke his shoulder to keep him from going under again. "It's late. We should get youto bed. You've been layin' there almost all day, aren't you freezin'?"

"Sick." He'd reply bluntly as another sharp pain shot through him, making him put a hand quickly over his mouth. Rose would crouch next to her companion, wrapping the blanket further around him.

"You should sleep. Those pills will kick in soon, won't they? _I hope so,_" she'd mutter quietly, "Come on, you look horrid."

He would lift his arms, too tired to protest, and practically let her carry him back into her room, falling into the bed like a deadweight.

"Blimey, don't fall asleep yet! At least get a pillow underneath your head!"

She'd always have to do that for him, too.

Rose visited the TARDIS every day like she'd promised, often talking to it. The blonde felt like she knew how to listen; maybe the Doctor used to talk to her, too. The ship was his most treasured companion, wasn't it? It had echoed his laughs, giving him a little more happiness then he'd had. The TARDIS had been there for when he smiled, danced, and sung. She let him know he wasn't alone when he broke down, crying and screaming and falling to his knees in frustration. She didn't get as much attention as she deserved. The TARDIS was alive and she did her very best, which was an awful lot of good.

At least, that's what Rose guessed.

"I suppose he's doing better." She sighed, looking around the huge spaceship. "He's home now. Sleepin'. He's been tirin' himself out recently, sick to his stomach. Have you seen him take those pills, girl?"

The ship hummed quietly.

"I don't know what kind of situations he has to get himself into to take them. I don't even know if they work. I-I mean, I guess if he says they do, then they do... But bloody hell, that man is ridiculous."

At that, the TARDIS seemed to laugh in agreement. How was it that this ship was easier to talk to then most living, breathing people? Rose thought maybe it was because she understood the Doctor, the biggest enigma in the universe.

"I wish you could talk. I bet you have so much to say."

_Whirrrrr!_

"Has the Doctor ever gotten sick?"

Silence.

"No wonder it's such a problem for him. He took those silly things, though, so I suppose he'll get better soon. I just don't like seein' him so dependant."

_Whirrr... _Rose took that as an agreement and smiled to herself.

"He'll get better, won't he..."

_Whirrrr Whirrrrrrr!_

"...Thanks, TARDIS. You're the best."

* * *

_A/N: Here is (FINALLY) another update C: i was at my girlfriend's house for a few days, and then went to Santa Cruz afterwards D: But I'm home now! I'll be gone Saturday for a con; hopefully will be able to squeeze in one more chapter before then :3 we're getting closer to finishing this thing! YEAH! Idk I figured the TARDIS could communicate? that would be cool, anyway... Remember y'all, this takes place some time before Doomsday, I suppose uou_


	9. Chapter 9

Rose watched the Doctor get a little bit better every day. How long had it been since the two time travelers had stopped back on Earth, deciding that the Tyler's little apartment would be the perfect place to heal a sick Time Lord? She guessed it was about a week, though recently her time frame was so messed up she couldn't be sure. Either way, the Doctor was improving more and more each day, and soon he wasn't throwing up at all. That was a relief; the thought of this whole ordeal being over gave her a little hope for peace in the future.

...Alright, maybe _peace _for the future was a bad choice of words. There was no peace when the Doctor was around. Maybe she meant something more along the lines of 'more dangerous shenanigans throughout space and time for the future', but the blonde had ran that through her head and thought it as a bit of a mouthful. The point was, she was overwhelmed by all of the nothing they were doing together. Rose and the Doctor were not nothing people, and both of them knew it. _Nothing _was possibly the most unorthodox thing they could possibly think of doing, and they could definitely think of a lot of things. It was unpleasant, and on the day there was real improvement- exactly nine days since they'd landed- the two time travelers _needed _to celebrate.

Rose beamed down at the Time Lord with triumph in her smile, quite proud of herself.

"Welp!" She started, giddy apparent in her voice. "Your temperature's back to normal, your skin is brighter then it was, and you look a lot less tired. How do you feel, Doctor?" She asked him, skipping happily to the other side of the room to set her thermometer down on a dresser. He watched her silently, a small smile playing at his lips, and coughed a bit before answering.

"Still a bit crummy," He admitted, "but it's nothing I can't shake off." He stretched his lanky limbs, climbing out of the bed to walk over to her. The blonde looked him up and down, making absolutely positive everything was where it should be. She nodded slowly, biting her lip.

"So you're positive you want to take off again within a day or two? You're really, really, _really_ sure you're ready?"

"Don't underestimate me, Rose Tyler." He teased her, winking. Rose smiled and hugged him tightly. This was the Doctor she liked; happy, healthy, and a huge dork. He rested his head on her shoulder and played with the end of her hair, looking down at it. She let him for a few moments before pulling back a bit, her eyes sparkling. She held tightly onto his shoulders, and smirked.

"Why, I would never!" She replied, but doubt still danced behind her blue eyes and the brown-haired man chuckled airily before rubbing his chin in thought, letting out a sniffle.

"We could always go for a test run." He told her. She furrowed her eyebrows, obviously not understanding what she meant, and it made him widen his smile. "I mean, go out tonight or something. Here, on Earth. If I'm still _broken_, we'll sit tight on Earth for a few more days. And if all goes smoothly, then I think we can be out of here as early as tomorrow's sunrise. How does that sound, faithful companion of mine?"

Rose nodded immediately.

"It sounds _fantastic_, faithful Doctor of mine."

* * *

_A/N: Ahhhh sorry this chapter is so short D: I'm kind of exhausted ^^' The next chapter is the last, wow! Thanks so much for everyone that's been so nice and given constructive criticism, I really appreciate everything and have been trying to work out all the problems and confusion c: The last chapter will be nice, fluffy, long, lovey dovey and stuff :S _


	10. Chapter 10

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, quite a pleasant surprise for the Doctor and Rose. The brunnet stared out the window in his robe and Rose joined him a moment later, hair dripping wet and smelling delicious. The chocolate-eyed man turned towards her with that goofy grin on his face and took a deep breath through his stuffy nose.

"You smell like strawberries, Rose." He informed her with a sniffle and she rolled her eyes, flashing him a quick smirk.

"We have body wash, silly. You need to get yourself into the shower and use some." She replied teasingly and he shrugged, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you think strawberries would do well on me?"

"Oh yeah, you're definitely a strawberry kind of guy." She nodded, furrowing her eyebrows.

"_Well_, I dunno... Maybe we could shake things up a bit? What goes good with strawberries? Kiwi? Watermelon?"

"We have all _sorts_ of flavors. Chocolate goes great with 'em. Whipped cream, too."

He gave her an odd look, starting to suspect something. "You mean to say you actually _have all those flavors of body wash_?"

"...No," She laughed. "I'm just kiddin'. I can't believe you fell for that."

He held up his hands, chuckling as well. "I'm sorry for not being very up-to-date on what flavors of body wash humans have in this century."

"I got you, Doctor, admit it!"

"Alright, alright, you got me. But in my defense, I'll need to show you all the flavors they'll have come up with in the _future. _Have you ever woken up with the desire to smell like grape jam? Pumpkin pie? pine needles? Honey?"

"People _really _have that?!"

"See, now _I _got _you._" He told her with a wink and she hit him playfully, standing in silence for a moment before glancing out the window. The Doctor watched her with fascination and then followed her gaze into the slightly cloudy sky, dotted with airplanes and flapping banners.

"'S a beautiful day outside." Rose mumbled, her eyes wide and reflecting the sky. "You know, you take me on all these silly adventures to crazy, colorful places and sometimes I forget just how great my world is."

He nodded in silent agreement, the shadows under his eyes more prominent in the light. "Earth is a lovely place. Lovely, lovely, place with plenty of astounding species. You know, I've visited this planet probably thousands of times and it never fails to teach me something new. I love it here, I really do. Just like I love y-..." The reply was almost silent, but the blonde caught it and turned her gaze towards him, biting her lip. He looked at her as well and then sort of blushed, shaking his head. "A-And the weather is great out today. I'm a bit surprised."

"Y-yeah, yeah, it's great." She nodded, looking away. "The night should be just as clear, shouldn't it?"

"Absolutely right, Miss Tyler. Great night for a d... dinner. Yeah."

"All right, Doctor," She sighed through her teeth, pushing him away, "you better just get in the shower now. _Allons-y,_ and all that."

The Time Lord nodded and coughed before briskly walking away, hands in his pockets. "Right, right, you're right. _Allons-y._"

* * *

Rose stood on her tip-toes, rummaging through her closet. She had a few dresses that she rarely wore- not for any reason in particular, just because there weren't many occasions that she'd need to- and didn't know which one would be best. The Doctor told her the weather would be great, so something long and thick probably wouldn't be the best choice. Rose didn't want to wear anything skimpy, either, and soon she was pulling out all of them and laying them on her bed to mull over.

Of course, the dress didn't have to be perfect. It's not like she was trying to impress her companion or anything; he was _nothing _more then a friend. An absolutely impossible, strange, tall, slim, brunet, _gorgeous, silly alien, _and that was nothing to get worked up over. She sighed and put back a few stupid dresses that she knew she'd never wear, slimming the options down to three.

_What would he wear? I mean, I dont want to match him or anything- he's already been coordinating our smells, for God's sakes, but... I want us to look good... that's normal, isn't it?_

She eventually decided on a simple, small purple number. It was dark, short, slightly poofy and with a low- but not too low- cut. The sleeves were a couple inches long and at there was a built-in belt that centered a bow. She remembered picking it out a while ago for a date that never happened, and figured that this would be a nice time to actually take it for a spin. There were purple heels that went perfectly with it and she had some trouble getting into them, but did nontheless. The Doctor had been gone quite a while, and just as she had that thought there was a knock on the door.

"Rose?" Came his muffled voice, and the blonde ran the brush through her hair one more time, frantically feeling around for her earrings. She'd spent a bit of time on makeup, but restrained herself so as not to go to major on it all.

"Ah- Doctor! Are you ready?"

"Well, we have some time to get an early start, I don't see why not. Unless- you need more time, Miss Tyler?"

"If you call me that again, I'll smack you upside your head!"

"Would you prefer _Mrs._, then?"

"Oh shut up! Get in here, you dunce."

He giggled and opened the door slowly, blinking in surprise when he saw her. He was in an oddly simple suit, and he looked as silly as ever despite the look of fatigue that he was trying to repress. She decided not to comment on it, sure that a bit more sleep would cure it up.

"Y-You look... gr-great, you look great, Rose." She finished putting her hoop earrings on and stood up, brushing out the dress. Her face was turning red, but she knew it would be ridiculous to call any attention to that, and she hoped he'd mistake it for sunburn or something of the sort.

"Thanks. You look decent enough. And... smell pretty good, too." His expression lightened and he nodded quickly.

"Kiwi! I looked around for chocolate, but it looks like you're fresh out."

"Well, I guess it'll have to do. And you're _sure_ you're up for this? You won't fall asleep at the table or anything?"

"If that's the worst thing you can think of me doing then I don't know, I'm probably not. But I promise we won't be ambushed, mugged, blown up, or killed. Is that good?"

"...Yeah, that's perfect." She looked down and shook her head lightly, finishing putting on her earrings and standing up, holding out her hand for his. "Well, come on, then, let's get a taxi or something."

* * *

_A/N: Ooooooooooops, this is turning out longer then I expected! Sorry about that, it looks like there WILL be one more chapter. My apologies! It's just so fun to write c: this chapter is silly :S _


End file.
